IND vs NZ final: Love for batting keeps everything else in place - Kohli

Kohli once again showcased his big-match temperament with a knock of 84 off 98 balls against Australia in the semifinal, guiding India to a clinical 4-wicket win

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli. Photo: @BCCI
Press Trust of India Dubai
2 min read Last Updated : Mar 06 2025 | 11:46 AM IST

Architect of India's win over Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal, Virat Kohli said that as long as his love for the game remains and he continues working for the team, he has no doubt that success will follow.

Kohli once again showcased his big-match temperament with a knock of 84 off 98 balls against Australia in the semifinal, guiding India to a clinical 4-wicket win, chasing down the 265-run target in challenging conditions on Tuesday. He had struck a century against arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stage.

"I just love playing this game, I just love batting. As long as love for the game and batting is alive, all other things can take care of themselves," Kohli said in a video posted on BCCI.TV. 

"You are not going to a desperate situation and put your head down, thank God. Just keep working towards what the team wants, you will have results like these more often than not."  Kohli's knock included some quick singles and doubles, with only five boundaries in his innings.

Reflecting on his approach to the sport, Virat said, "For me, at this stage of my career, it is about getting up for these games, getting excited, coming out here, hopefully doing the job for the team, working hard as much as I can, run hard between the wickets, play according to the situation.

"When all these things come together and it comes off, you feel great. To get the team across the line, it is a great feeling."  The 36-year-old also praised his teammates for their contributions in the semifinals.

"Obviously, as a team, you feel good when people step up throughout the innings. Hardik (Pandya) hit those crucial shots at a nervous point for us. KL (Rahul) played outstandingly to close the game.

"Shreyas had a fine partnership with me. All-around effort counts. People are in a great space. You qualify for finals, a couple of days off, everything to look forward to," he concluded.

India will face New Zealand in the final on March 9 in Dubai.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :Virat KohliIndia vs New ZealandIndia cricket teamICC Champions TrophyChampions Trophy

First Published: Mar 06 2025 | 11:45 AM IST

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